Processing devices of various types have been around for many years. Processing devices, as contemplated in the present application, may include, without limitation, blenders, food processors, mixers, and any other appliance for use in processing nutritional items. Processing devices may also include equipment intended to be used in blending, mixing, or processing non-nutritional items.
A primary application of the present invention, however, is in connection with blenders used in the food and drink preparation industry. One traditional mixing device is a conventional stand-alone blender which is used to break down and blend together any number of nutritional items. A conventional stand-alone blender typically comprises some type of a stand or base in which the blender motor is housed, a jar or other receptacle into which the nutritional items to be mixed are placed, and a lid covering the opening to the receptacle.
With respect to virtually all conventional blending machines, the lid includes a hole so that the contents being mixed can be agitated or stirred with some type of implement during a blending cycle. The hole also relieves pressure that may be generated during a blending cycle. One particular problem that has persisted throughout recent times is the high noise level which is always associated with traditional blending machines. Machine noise becomes particularly problematic where several blending cycles take place over a relatively short period of time, or where multiple mixing machines are used simultaneously at a common location. In commercial establishments where multiple blenders are used, the problem of noise can become so great that it is difficult for customers and employees of the establishment to hear each other speak during normal conversation. Aside from the inconvenience and annoyance associated with such noise, people are becoming increasingly concerned about the potential adverse effects on hearing from exposure to repeated, continual, high-level background noise.
A continual design concern with respect to blending machines relates to safety during operation. It is important to maintain the nutritional items being mixed within the blender receptacle. The blending cycles can cause particles of the items being mixed to be hurled outside of the receptacle at high velocities. It is equally important to minimize the risk of injuries to the persons operating the blending machines. Injuries might occur, for example, if the operator were to inadvertently insert a limb into the receptacle of the blending machine. While most conventional mixing machines have used lids for safety purposes, traditionally there have been few, if any, safety features requiring use of the lid during operation. Furthermore, as mentioned above, virtually all prior known mixing machines employ a lid with a hole for inserting a mixing implement for use in stirring the nutritional items held within the container during the mixing process. Thus, such traditional blending machines have always had the potential to cause injury.
Also related to the problems associated with maintaining the nutritional items within the blending receptacle during the blending cycle is the need to maintain the container stable so that the contents do not spill and the blending receptacle stays in operative engagement with the drive mechanism. Virtually all blending devices include a blade rotatably mounted inside the blending receptacle which connects to the drive mechanism via some type of interface at the bottom of the receptacle. Most interconnections between the blending receptacle and the drive mechanism are short in height. Particularly in a commercial setting, a short interconnection segment allows the receptacle to be more efficiently installed on and removed from the drive shaft. The other consideration, however, is that where a short interconnection exists, there is a tendency for the receptacle to vibrate and separate from the drive mechanism during the mixing process.
Another efficiency aspect of concern with respect to traditional blending devices relates to the seal between the receptacle in which nutritional items are being mixed and the lid covering the receptacle. Traditionally, the lids have been force-fit into the opening of the receptacle to attempt to provide a seal throughout the blending cycle. Such tight fits may, however, delay the blending cycle. In a commercial setting, such delays, however small, will add up to a significant amount of time when repeated over many cycles.
Yet another concern with respect to blending devices relates to their efficient use in a commercial environment. In recent times, the market for beverages produced by blending machines has exploded. Blending machines are used for making all types of coffee, cappuccino, smoothies, juices, fruit drinks, shakes, ice cream treats, and many other types of beverages. In a commercial mixing environment, it becomes increasingly important to provide a blending machine that initiates blending cycles as quickly and efficiently as possible.
Attempts have been made to address safety concerns, yet allow the blending machine to carry out a mixing cycle in the shortest possible time. For example, a delay (of, for example, approximately one second) has been implemented into one type of prior blending machine upon manual actuation of the blender. This delay is intended to give the operator time to ready the blender for a cycle. Thus, a blending cycle begins only after the specific delay period has passed subsequent to actuation of the mixing device.
There are problems, however, with respect to use of a standard delay in a blending cycle. The period of delay, no matter how small, slows down processing and likely exceeds the period of time actually necessary to ready the machine for processing. Accordingly, over many cycles, the sum of many minute delays can be extremely significant. Delays, therefore, equate to inefficiency.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need to develop an enclosure for a processing device, such as a blending machine, that addresses primary safety concerns, such as complete enclosure of the blending receptacle during a blending cycle. There is also a need to stabilize a blending receptacle during the blending process to ensure continual engagement between the drive shaft of the motor and the blade rotatably coupled to the blending receptacle. Still another need exists to create a mixing apparatus that can be implemented in the most efficient way (i.e., so that mixing occurs at the exact time when the safety features, such as an enclosure lid and/or a sound-proof box has been secured around the mixing machine). Yet another need exists to provide an enclosure for a mixing machine that reduces noise and effectively ensures that safety features associated with the mixing machine have been implemented.